Jackass 5 - Will It Ever Happen?

Back in the '90s, Johnny Knoxville wasn't yet the star we know today. Much like one of his influences, Hunter S. Thompson, Knoxville was up for anything and everything, including testing self-defense equipment on himself for "Big Brother" magazine. His risk-taking didn't go unnoticed, and soon the magazine was gaining attention from other like-minded daredevils, including Steve-O. Soon enough, the likes of Chris Pontius and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña came on board, bolstered by behind-the-scenes staff such as Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze. This ragtag team made quirky videos for the early internet, and it didn't take too long before people took notice. 

With the prospect of branching out into a television show, a few more talents were added to the ranks, including skater Bam Margera and his buddy, Ryan Dunn. This proved to be the final ingredient and, following some network shopping, the crew signed up with MTV. Per Van Toffler, the then-president of MTV Networks, "We just knew there were a bunch of knuckleheads out there who had a very high tolerance for stupidity and pain" (via Maxim). 

"Jackass" made its television debut in April 2000 and was a near-overnight success. In no time at all, Knoxville went from doing random commercials to make ends meet, to posing for the cover of "Rolling Stone" Magazine. The show's success saw them break out onto the big screen in 2002, with "Jackass: The Movie" stretching their ever-increasing absurdity — all rife with genital-based humor and plenty of gross-out gags — for a further three movies.